thrive

Bummer - this cold is getting me down. Not my spirits, but my bod! Don’t you hate that? When your body doesn’t feel the way you want it to feel. I’ve had that happen so much with injuries (my bad back), allergies, being pregnant, being sleep deprived, and then just having colds. It just seems that feeling good is not so long lived. So as part of the acts of acceptance - I am accepting that I feel like sh*t and resting. Although comfort eating is attempting a strong comeback I will stay vigilant. Since I can’t exercise very much, eating needs to stay calm. It is all a balance. I keep coming back to that.

Ugh! I finally caught that cold that my son had and that was traveling around here. Maybe i need to use purel on the computer…those kind of viruses don’t pass through but it seems like they do. One of the things my dorky side likes about Buddy Slim is watching the weather and the colds travel around the continent!

So this stuffy head kept me away from the gym today which was a bummer because it was very fun to go yesterday! I keep having to remember that rest is as important as eating well and exercising. It’s all a balance!

This morning, I did have a nice long leisurely walk with the dog, hubby, and kid that was complete with a snowball fight. Then we ate a VERY BIG lunch out, followed with a long nap for me. Lots of playing this afternoon with some dancing and hide and seek and a LIGHT dinner, and although I want that chocolate pudding, I just had some tea.

Okay - funny image for the day: Took my dog out tonight for his walk and at the park there were 3 giant snowballs on the ground that looked like a dismantled snowman. I looked ahead and one of the balls had rolled away and collected some leaves that were a grimacing mouth and eyes. As I checked back at the base of the snowman, the two snowballs on the ground, I was just in time to see my dog pee on the snowman. Poor guy, hope he likes to wear yellow LOL!

I wanted to write a blog today and couldn’t decide if it should be about self-acceptance or about Salad. They are both pretty important to me, but clearly they don’t belong together so much. Let’s see, I can wrap the salad thing up quickly so I’ll start there.

Salad - I had this realization a month or two ago that I really like to eat salads at salad bars or restaurants, but I don’t eat them at home quite as much. I realized there were 3 reasons for that:

1. the dressings

2. the ingredients

3. the prep

I LOVE the complex flavors of a well made salad dressing. You don’t even need much to make it taste good.

I LOVE the variety on a salad bar and the creative combinations of salads possible in restaurants

I HATE washing lettuce  and can generally be lazy (LOL)

My answer to these 3 porblems has come:

1. I got a salad dressing cookbook for Christmas

2. I make a little salad bar at home sometimes, with all those random things I like to put on salad like peas, cooked broccoli, corn, edamame, sunflower seeds, tofu (or fake chicken - i don’t do meat for those who don’t know me) etc It’s great for my son because he won’t eat lettuce but he will eat the other things. I also love to put dried fruit on or even leftover stir-fry. Whatever is in the fridge can be a salad topper.

3. I was buying those bagged lettuces forever and still do, but recently I dusted off the salad spinner, bought some really nice lettuce and after washing it I let my kid spin away! Really good lettuce is just that - really good. We’re laying off the bags for now.

And guess what,  I eat more salads and I like the salads I eat.

Maybe this was about ACCEPTANCE. Accepting myself and my preferences and working WITH that instead of AGAINST it. I have spent much of my life wishing I was this or that. Now I find the times I actually ACCEPT who I am, what I like, and what I choose, then the easier my life is! All the kicking and screaming against myself wasn’t even good exercise!

So here’s to Acceptance and Salad!

So the wonderful Shanna inspired this today. She had a list off the accomplishments she’s made (I’m probably calling it something different), but it was this super positive way to look at all she has done in the face of some disappointment over not getting the number she wants. I think of my amazing buddy, Angela, too, dropping so many inches, eating well, exercising and have the scale spit small numbers back at her. She, too, noticed her clothes fitting well. Seems like this whole number thing really deserves it’s own blog, but that will come later. For now, stay positive!

So what have I done lately - it feels like not so much except complain and only walk for work outs. Well, here goes:

i lost 18 pounds (regained 1 or 2 depending on the day)

i started stretching almost everyday

i met a bunch of new people here

i opened myself up, really opened myself up

i supported friends or tried along the way, especially new folks as it’s hard to be new

i had over 2500 minutes of cardio in January

i became comfortable with weightlifting equipment

i read a few books while working out

i went to the gym at night

i took my son to the gym child care and got him used to it - by using small steps

my “how am i doing pants” fit me today - i was so shocked

I GOT PREGNANT - now that one changed things!

before that one, i was feeling super energized and regularly happy, now i’m just a little tired and therefore moody!

i have more happy days than not

i made a frog out of old pants

i don’t binge regularly

i eat smaller portions and that means i can eat almost anything i want

i dont’ eat out as much

i feel smarter about my body

i feel strong

i can almost keep up with my super-energized son and actually run when he say’s “run mommy run!”

prepreggers, i was sleeping well

oh, a big one, i go to sleep by 11 almost every night versus staying up eating and watching tv

i turn the TV off on Wed night around 11 after watching Project Runway instead of staying up for another 2 hours.

i journal now (here)

i drink more water and less tea/coffee, including one BIG glass that is 3 cups water first thing in the morning

i forgot this HUGE one and had to come back and add. I’m not scared of my back problems (discs) and sciatica anymore, I know it will come and go and I know what exercises help me keep it away

i practice yoga

WoW that’s cool. I was feeling like nothing was happening. Writing things down is so powerful even if it’s little small things. I think that’s why I LOVE my cardio challenge the most. It’s just about documenting anything (nothing’s too small) that I’ve done that day.

Try this and really look at anything you’ve done - its’ cool! Keep that critical voice out of the way while you write - it gets way too much attention anyway!

okay i need to go bake these right now for playgroup, but thought i’d share. i’m very into putting fruits and veggies into anything i can. Like my son’s eggs this morning: his choice was with broccoli or peas. This recipe probably isn’t for the no carb folks, but otherwise very yummy and healthy.
Carrot-oatmeal Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a muffin pan for 8 large or 12 medium muffins. I actually use a mini muffin pan that way you don’t eat giant muffins! Great for kids, too!!!!

Ingredients –

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (i use butter)

1 egg

¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (I use only ½ cup or even less)

¾ cup milk (whatever you have, low fat is good)

1 cup finely grated carrot (food processor is a gem for this or you get a workout grating them yourself!)

1 cup oatmeal

1 ¼ cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon allspice or cinnamon (I also add ginger, cloves, and nutmeg)

2/3 cup raisins or craisins (i buy the ones without added sugar)

Beat the butter, egg, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.  Stir the milk, carrot, and oatmeal into the butter mixture.  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice together and combine the two mixtures.  Stir in the raisins.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes in the prepared pan.

Wahoo!!!!!!! It was gone there for awhile but I just noticed this really lovely feeling last night and today and it was HAPPY! Funny, too, now that I think back, I didn’t snack in front of the TV last night and I ate pretty well yesterday. That left me feeling good this morning as well. Really, though, the main 2 things seem to be - I got good sleep last night -YEAH! and i had 2 great conversations with friends (live). It is amazing how easy it is to slip into negative eating patterns when I’m feeling down or tired.

Glad to have HAPPY back! Must remember, as always, sleep and staying connected with people are good for me!

okay, so i’ve been up since like 4:30. and, nope, unlike amazing Angela I did not do it on purpose. I am not done with any workout, I just couldn’t sleep. The kiddo woke up around then and after tending to him and getting him resettled I was up. I’ve used alot of time so far messing around here, checking out what time my gym opens, thinking about exercising, but sitting here. Nice right? Well, now off I go now to do an early and long dog walk. Hubby has to get ready for work so can’t go too far but can get a good 40 min or more in. Will need to nap at kid’s nap time, for sure. How does Angela do it?

all right, i had to come back and amend the blog. went out and within 10 minutes it started drizzling, the raining, then down pouring even with a nice touch of hail - LOL! I felt sorry for my dog, but at least we got out and stayed out for 20 minutes…

i really need to get one of those. anyone know where i can? should i go the juffy lube or fast oil change place, can they hook me up on an oil and ATTITUDE change cuz I could really use both come to think of it!

It’s time for a new plan. First on the plan is OPTIMISM. I am not so good at the positive outlook on life thing. I used to think it was a desirable characteristic in a person to be pessimistic and gloomy about life. Great philosophers, artists and musicians are all brooding over something right? They are so dark and deep and…. well, the thing is they may have interesting thoughts, make beautiful paintings, and soul touching songs, but I’m not really up to all that right now, just trying to be a good mom and wife and friend and daughter. So all that gloom - that’s just not so helpful. And, really, I have nothing to brood over. I mean, come on, brooding over whether or not to feed my son turkey (i’m a vegetarian). Oh, that’s useful!

This attitude has really taken me away from my previous focus of eating well and smaller portions. It is amazing but what I finally learned in my first 6 weeks here is that I can actually eat what I want if I stop eating with one serving and if I move my body. And, that with those 2 things I lose weight AND feel happy! Sleep was another big one, if I go to sleep earlier, I’m not so tired the next day. Rocket science, clearly? Nobel prize for me coming right up!

I just can’t get those simple truths to remain in my focus. Recently I have been eating too much and not moving so much. I also have been removed from my exercise because the pregnancy has me really tired. The tired = bad mood for me, but really it just needs to stop. So, here it does.

Attitude is now going to be POSITIVE. Sleep is even more of a priority and no excuses on eating and exercise. I was doing aerobics the first time I was pregnant at this same time, so I CAN keep moving.

HAPPY NIGHT TO YOU ALL! Love my buds here and sorry for the doom and gloom of the past week or two.

Off for a nice long walk!

Well, I don’t really eat too much fast food at least in the traditional sense. I eat processed or pre- made foods from the Grocery store, but I luckily don’t do the drive throughs very much. As a vegetarian who tries to eat pretty good for you foods (usually too much), the fast food thing hasn’t worked too much for me. I always have one place, though, that speaks to me…TACO BELL.

I have to confess, I like to run to the border. 

I haven’t gone in quite awhile - they closed the one right by my house over a year ago and unless i”m traveling I just don’t really go to fast food places. I eat and drink my way through coffee shops or the local bakery or if I’m at the mall, etc, those are more my danger zones, except for this little weakness.

The Taco Bell has been calling me lately.

And, twice this week I drove pretty far out from my house and saw a drive thru Taco Bell. Twice now I have resisted it’s lure. Resisted the order I always get: 2 bean burritos and nachos bell grande no meat. Today, I almost stopped but I had my kid with me and so I didn’t for 3 reasons:

1. I don’t really want to give him the fast food - it’s just really filled with crap  (same goes for the unborn)

2. If I’m going to eat it, I want the binge, and the binge is eating alone or in front of the TV or basically as a de-stressor whereas sitting in my car with my kid and dog chowing the TB wouldn’t really do it for me.

3. They weren’t open yet since it was 10 am.

So now I plan for the night time run for the border.  I’ll go all by myself and eat eat eat in my car.  Or maybe I’ll bring it home or…

who am i kidding…

Probably won’t happen as nights here are busy with dinner, night-night routines, and dog walking. Plus there is that thing about not wanting to eat that crap. But, man, if that bell doesn’t ring loud for me!!!!

Ding away - I’m not coming!

ps - so excited - i just tallied up my hours from my cardio challenge for January and I had over 2500 mins! That doesn’t even include strength training, stretches, and the other random exercises like team challenges. I did include 2 90 min yoga classes, cuz frankly, they do kick my butt!

pps- my frog is almost done. one more leg to do and then need to adorn it.